LINCOLN PARK — A new seasonal restaurant and bar is set to open between the two paths of the newly divided Lakefront Trail at North Avenue Beach.
The Shore Club is slated to open Aug. 1 at 1603 N. Lake Shore Drive in the area between the trail's new separate paths for cyclists and walkers/runners. It will have three separate areas — a patio, a restaurant and what's called the "oasis" — and it's setting itself up as an event venue, as well as offering high-priced reservations for the Air & Water Show on Aug. 19 and 20.
Robbie Schloss said he and his three partners on the project intend to make it "the new 'it' place for those looking to relax and enjoy the beautiful Chicago beaches."
The Shore Club will be seasonal and close at the end of October, making for a relatively short season this summer. The temporary structure will be erected later this month.
"It will be a little bit short, but that's OK," co-owner Lisa Jaroscak said. The partners have an eight-year contract with the Chicago Park District and its concessions firm to be open May-October.
In all, the Shore Club will have a 4,800-square-foot restaurant, a 4,500-square-foot open-air patio — offering the full menu and seated on a first-come, first-served basis — and a 3,500-square-foot oasis, which will include cabanas, sun beds and daybeds, by reservation.
It expects to attract customers with its beachside views and as a comfort zone for beachgoers, as well as with a full Mediterranean-style menu under chef Elizabeth Tokarczyk, in partnership with Inspired Catering.
The menu will favor seafood and salads, but also make way for a charcuterie board. There's a menu of signature cocktails with a beach theme as well.
North Avenue Beach is pretty much ground zero for the Air & Water Show, and the Shore Club is offering various levels of reservations from $125-$750. It will also offer a weekly Sunday brunch starting Aug. 6 and priced at $35
